The title and photo pretty much speak for themselves: this post will be all about the two Revlon lip products that have taken the beauty world by storm over the past few months.

Before I jump right in, let me just say that I've only tried these two specific shades and that's where I'll base my reviews - from a quick research online, I found out that other shades from these two ranges perform quite differently, so keep that in mind.

Allow me to begin with the most recent Revlon best seller, the

Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain. The shade I have is 035 - Charm/Charme, a pale peach shade with a hint of pink, that translates as a lovely nude colour on my lips. As you can see from the photo below, it's a very flattering nude and that, along with the refreshing peppermint scent, are good enough reasons to enjoy using this product. There are, however, a couple of cons as well: while it gives your lips a subtle shiny finish, it's not particularly moisturising, and the texture is a bit waxy and thick, meaning it does settle into fine lines. The term "Balm Stain" is also confusing, as this shade is barely visible after a few hours, but perhaps darker shades perform better.

*I believe that these products are considered to be Clinique Chubby Sticks dupes, and the packaging certainly hints that way, however the Chubby Sticks are a lot creamier and easier to apply and also far more lightweight on the lips. The only similarity I could spot is the finish that both give when applied.

As for the ColorBurst Lip Butters, I really don't need to say a lot, I suspect most of you own a fair number by now. I have the one in 025 - Peach Parfait, which is a rosy pink with flecks of shimmer running through it. I have mixed feelings about this one as well: while I enjoy the shade, shiny finish and pigmentation, the formula once again is not as lightweight as I'd have hoped. It's certainly a lot creamier and more moisturising than the Just Bitten one, and it goes on smoother, but having tried a few more of the "tinted lipbalms" that are out there, I just can't rate these that high. The shimmer particles could also have been finer - there is a hint of grittiness when I rub my lips together.

All in all, good products, but not in the "must-have" end of the spectrum in my opinion. I will still enjoy using both of them, thanks to the flattering shades, but if I try a new one next time, I'll be sure to go for different colours.

PS: Many thanks to my lovely twitter bff Anastasia - you're super sweet and this post wouldn't have been made without you!!! ;)

So, have you tried any of these Revlon lip best sellers? Which shades would you recommend?

From what you can tell by now, I'm a huge fan of mixing older pieces, like this silk shirt I've had forever, with newer ones. I'm also becoming quite the...Inditex Group fanatic: both Zara and Bershka are doing some great pieces at the moment, and in more than one cases, I couldn't resist! I'm looking forward to style them for future OOTDs, especially once the weather gets colder and enables some layering!

A lot of virtual ink has been spilled over BB creams in the past few months, mainly reviewing the two Garnier ones, so I figured that another two separate reviews on them would be slightly excessive and, probably, pointless.
Instead, I'm going to make this into a "review/comparison" post of the two versions, hoping that it will come in handy to someone who's undecided between the two.

The Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Daily All In One B.B. cream (I'm going to refer to it as "the original" from now on) comes in a thick, almost mousse-like texture, that provides very light coverage, virtually working as a tinted moisturiser. The initial feeling that you get when you apply it is a moisturising sensation, but that lasts only for the first few seconds. It takes a while to properly blend into your skin, since, being a thick consistency, it tends to just sit on top of it. What's remarkable about this product is the shine it gives you - a good or bad thing, depending on your skintype and routine. For example, if I layer this on top of a thin layer of moisturiser, it gives the right amount of dewyness to my dry skin, but if I use another product underneath (a proper sunscreen for example, since I wouldn't rely on the low SPF 15 that this contains), I end up quickly with an oily face, which no amount of powdering can really fix!

The Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector for Combination to Oily Skin B.B. cream is a lightweight liquid formula, that's much easier to blend and layer. It provides slightly better coverage than the original and gives a more even finish - spots, though, still need to be concealed. It dries quickly to a satin finish, that can also turn semi-matte, with a dusting of powder. It doesn't give a flat look to your skin, but it's certainly not dewy either, and, in fact, can accentuate drier areas that aren't properly moisturised. You can see in the swatches below that it's a lot less light reflective than the original. One thing I really enjoy about this one is that it feels very natural: I can't feel it on my skin, nor do I spot any cakeyness, even a few hours into it. It also contains a slightly higher SPF of 20.

I've tried both of these in the lightest of the two shades available, and frankly none of them is light enough to match my skintone (I've used some fake tan a few days before the swatches). If you're lighter than NC/NW 15 in the MAC range, then you'll probably feel that both of these are too dark for you. Another thing worth mentioning, is that the original is a lot pinker than the one for combination to oily skin, thus appearing slightly darker.

To sum it up, I've created this little board:

I'm also including a photo of both of their ingredients' lists:

As you've probably gathered, despite my skin's tendency to dryness, I still pick the one aimed at combination/oily skin. It matches my skintone better, it lasts longer and it gives me more room to play with my skincare or makeup routine. I just need to make sure that I've moisturised properly beforehand!

And now for the exciting part: I'm giving away two of the original Garnier B.B. creams to two lucky readers!

In order to enter, you need to:
a) be a follower of my blog either via GFC or on facebook,
b) leave a comment with your username on the platform that you're using to follow my blog, as well as your email address and preference in shade.

The giveaway will be open until September 28th, 23:59 GMT and the winners will be chosen via random.org. Good luck to all!

Disclaimer: the original Garnier B.B. cream, as well as the giveaway prizes, were provided by the pr representatives of the brand. My thoughts and opinions on it are an honest reflection of my experience.

Have you tried any of the two Garnier B.B. creams? Which one is your favourite?Have you jumped on the B.B. cream bandwagon yet?

Two parts chameleon + one part gold scarab beetle = OPI Just Spotted the Lizard!

OPI's Just Spotted the Lizard was released late last spring as part of the Spiderman collection. The alleged Chanel Peridot dupe is a metallic duochrome shade, which ranges from a greenish gold to a peacock teal, depending on the light that hits it and the angle at which you see it. It is in fact so multidimensional, that I had to include a couple more photos of it, taken under fluorescent lighting (the two to the side - main photo was taken with natural light), but I still can't show you exactly it's full color range potential! The color in the bottle does it better justice than my poor swatches!

Two shades is probably enough for an opaque finish, but I applied three, for an extra rich shade. I didn't mind, since it dried fairly quickly, without making it more prone to chipping (with a good top coat you could probably wear this 1-2 days longer than other metallic shades).

Definitely a unique and interesting shade (enough to grant you a compliment or two!), that was missing from my collection, and that I'll definitely enjoy wearing!

Have you tried OPI Just Spotted the Lizard? If you own Chanel Peridot, does it really have that blue duochrome effect as well?

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm is a product that requires little to no introduction: numerous bloggers have sung its praises repeatedly in the past. Naturally, when so much hype surrounds a certain beauty product, you cannot resist it - one simply has to see for themselves if the others are onto something, worthy of the Holy Grail label.

Long story short, there was a Clarins offer on feelunique.com, so I succumbed:

As a lot of you probably already know, the Beauty Flash Balm is widely used as a pre-makeup moisturiser-slash-primer, kind of an "all inclusive" type of product, really. It claims to moisturise, add radiance, tighten, even out and revive the appearance of your skin. And much to my surprise (if you know me by now, you know that I'm a skeptic when it comes to overhyped products), it pretty much delivers!

First things first: the product comes in a cream formula in an ivory/light salmon shade, that I'm sure plays its part in making the skin appear healthier. It's not at all thick and a minute later it's absorbed without leaving any residue. You might get a tingly sensation when applied to the driest areas, but that fades away quickly.
The results are visible straight away: the skin is plump and moisturised and gives off THE most stunning natural radiance I've ever come across in a product! Think youthful, rested, healthy looking complexion, that looks your own and not as a (somewhat artificial) result by a primer. What's more impressive is that this radiance is still very much noticeable after you apply foundation and it lasts for a good amount of time!
In regards to it being used as a primer, I can't say that it's as effective as silicon-based primers, but it does increase the longevity of my makeup - I can't give you a number in hours, but after coming home, my morning face hadn't disintigrated as much as it usually would have.

There are however a couple of points that I need to mention:

the scent. It's like a lady-ish, light floral scent, a bit too much for my taste. I'd prefer no scent at all, or sth more herbal than this - to many, I'm sure this is not even an issue.

While it does effectively moisturise the skin, I don't get the instant feeling of relief when I apply it. Sure, when I see my face in the mirror, I see its benefits, but I'd have enjoyed an immediate soothing sensation as well.

All in all, though, a truly great product, that I'd gladly repurchase. It does multitask, which is extremely helpful if you can't wait for a million products to sink in in the morning, and it does achieve that "lit from within" radiance*. It's also formulated with many plant extracts and sans the usual dubious chemicals, another huge plus in my book!

*I do have dry/combination skin, so perhaps this is why this product works so well for me. If you have oily skin, then most likely, this might not be a must product in your beauty cabinet.

How about you? Have you tried the Beauty Flash Balm?

Have you come across a multitasking skincare product that cuts down your routine?